Mash and wort separator and method in separating wort from mash



R. C. SCHOCK May 7, 1946.

MASH AND WORT SEPARATOR AND METHOD IN SEPARATING WORT FROM MASH Filed March 2, 1944 mm A R 5% v NP Sm m INVENTOR Fl NFL f 1 v /T MRQQQM .335

Patented May 7, 1946 UNITE srA'rss PATENT Fries asn AND woa'r seams-roe am) METH- OD IN Robert C. Schock, New Rochelle, N.

Schock, Gunner l: 00. Inc.,

WORT FROM MASH Y., assignor to Hoboken, N. 1., a

corporation of New Jersey Application March 2, .1944, Serial N 524,763- 3 Claims. (01'. mo-194) This invention relates to mash and wort separators, and has for its object to provide a continuously revolving separator, and a novel method of treating the mash during its leaching for removing the wort from the mash; leaving the spent grains. I

It is known to discharge the mesh with wort from the mash tank, and subject itto a filtering operation; theseoperations are of various 'kinds, but have not given completesatisfaction.

The novel method consists in subjecting continuously a continuous supply of mash to an agi-' plying an efliuent to continuously pass through the mash in-said compartment, with the necessary supply and discharge means for the spent' mash and filtrate. v The novel method and features of construction of the separator, forming part of the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, shown in the -drawlng,.and finally pointed out in the claims. 1 1 In the accompany drawing, Fig. 1 is a vertical central section of a fragmentary portion of the mash tank or tub, and the improved separator embodying this invention disposed below the same, and

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic drawing showing the operation of the method. 4

Referring to the drawing, the bottom III of the mash tub or tank has as shown, a central shaftv II. This shaft supports masher arms which are rotated and as such construction is well known itis not shown.

circumferentially disposed to the tub'is a wall I! perforated to allow the passage of wort. The bottom III of the tank is provided with a discharge opening 14 and with a pair of diametrically opposite openings I 5, communicating with downwardly depending conduits I 8. These conduits I! arejoined by communicating with a downwardly extending conduit It, and this, conduit It leads to a circua connecting conduit l 1,

I A conduit 23 leads to a lating pump 20. controlled by valve B of suitable construction having preferably a .handwheel 2|.

sparge water supply (not shown) and may be connected with the conduit It, or with the circulating pump 20, in suitable relationship thereto. The sparge water conduit 23 is provided with a valve H of suitable construction, preferably controlled by a handwheel 24. A gauge 2! indicates the pressure of the sparge water.

The pump 20 discharges into a conduit 22 connected with the improved separator.

The separator consists of a casing 30, supported by legs 3| uponthe foundation 32. One end wall 33 of the casing 30 has the inlet devices for the eiiluent and mash and the opposite end 34 has outlet devices for the spent mash'or spent grains. The filtrate gathers at the bottom of 1 the casing to be discharged therefrom.

The casing 30 is divided into three circumferentially disposed substantially co-axial compartments, the central or eiliuent compartment 3-5, e intermediate or mash compartment 36 and the outer or filtrate compartment '31;

The central or eiiluent compartment 35 is formed by the hollow interior of a conical revolving drum having a conical inlet portion 40, both having perforations throughout their 30 area. This portion 40 is secured to a. hollow trunnion 42 supported by bearings 42a in the inlet'end wall 33 of the casing 30, to which trunnion 42 a worm gear 43 is secured, rotated by a worm 44 driven preferably by an electric motor 4!, suitably supported on the foundation 32. The opposite end wall 48ofthe drum 38 is not perforated and is spaced from an adjacent end wall 34 of the casing 30, which is provided with a trunnion bearing 41 supporting the trunnion 48 secured to the end wall 46 of the drum 38.

Concentric with the perforated drum 38 is a stationary enclosing wall 50, substantially cylin-l drical which inclines towards the outlet end 34 of the casing 30, and which has its ends secured to the interior sides of the walls 33 and"34 oi the casing 30 as shown at ii. The wall 50 is spaced from the drum 38 to form a hollow cylindrical compartment and this is the intermediate or mash. compartment 36 before referred to. The

wall 50 is provided with outlet slots of elongated form throughout its area. The outlet end wall. 34 is provided with suitable openings Sla for thepassage of the spent mash'or grains into the he fluid in theconduit I8 is outlet chamber 64a communicating with the valve sou Q Upon-the exterior of the drum 38 there is secured in a suitable manner, a spirally disposed plate forming a screw 55, and the width or depth of this plate is about equal to the space between the exterior of the drum 33 and .the interior of the wall 50, the pitch of the screw 35 preferably increasing from the outlet end to the inlet end.

The outer or filtrate compartment 31 is formed b the space between the exterior side of the wall 50 and the interior side of the casing 30. The lower portion or the casing 30 is provided with a flaring bottom 58, discharging the filtrate. at 51 into a conduit 58 of inverted T shape, both legs being valved by valves E and F. The valve E with the aid of an operating handwheel 53 controls the fiow to a pump 6| known as a vorlaui pump which pumps the flow back to the mash tub by a pipe il The other valve F, also with the aid of an operating handle 53 controls the flow of the filtrate to the conduit 63 leading to the kettle (not shown).

The end wall 34 .of the casing 30 has a valvecontrolled outlet 64 with a discharge conduit 63 for the spent grains. The valve operated by its operating handle 66 controls the back pressure against the mash in the mash compartment 36. A s ide valve controlled. opening 81 is used for cleaning purposes, as also a steam connection 81 in the conduit 22.

Finally, the inlet end wall 33 of the casing 30,

has a circular opening 10, which provides com-' munication between the mash compartment 38 and a conduit 'Il, controlled by a valve C, having an operating handle 12, and a sight glass 13,

which conduit ll leads directly to the discharge opening l4 in the bottom of the mash tub Hi.

The slotted wall 50 may beprovided with hinges 80 of the general piano type longitudinally along each side, and the upper segments each about two thirds of each side, may be moved outwardly. Such a construction facilitates entrance into the mash compartment formed by the drum and slotted wall, and is advantageous in the cleaning of the same. A cover 33 may be provided for the casing.

The operation of the separator described is as follows:

As a preliminary action, with valves, A, B and C closed, valve C is opened, and the mash enters the compartment 36. The motor 43 is started to rotate the drum and its screw, whereby the intermediate compartment 35 becomes filled with mash, which latter status will be visible through the sight glass I3. The screw 55 continually moves the incoming mash from the inlet end to the outlet end, compressing it tighter and tighter,

but not too tight, as this mash is used to form.

a filter bed. The motor is then stoppedand at the same time the valve C is closed to interrupt the supply of the mash. Valve B is now opened and the wort from the false bottom of the tub, descends in conduit l8 and is pumped by pump through conduit 22 into the compartment 35. The wort passes through the filter bed, enriching the same, and the clarified excess then discharges to the pipe 51 and with valve E opened and valve F closed, passes to the vorlauf pump, and is pumped back to the mash tub. Thiswort is relatively rich. When the wort is clear. valve E is closed. Then valve B i'sclosed, and valve C again opened. The motor 44 is started it stopped,

. and the drum caused to revolve at a low speed and thenew supply or mash is supplied to the mash compartment. During this time, valve H is opened to supply sparge water in quantiti s 8'8 taneous one.

needed and timed, which is determined by the amount of sparge water which for a given gallon per minute will extract the desiredwort from the wet grain or mash acting as the filter bed. Valve A is opened to permit a continuous mash upply.

In other words, mash enters from valve C to form a filter bed corresponding to the depth of the intermediate or mash compartment and the valve C is then closed. The first wort which is not clear is clarified b leaching it through the filter bed, it entering irom valve B, valve C being closed, by seeping through the bed, which bed retains some of the first wort. The excess first wort passes to the flaring bottom 58 and as stated back to the tank. This preliminary action having been completed, the valve B is closed, and the valve C is again opened and valve A is opened, and sparge water enters from the open valve H, and passes through the filter bed from the central compartment and leaches out the retained first wort in the filter bed and 'then the wort of the succeeding mash which continuously enters the mash compartment and as a filter bed moves from its inlet to its outlet. The spent grains of eiiiuent passing outwardly through the filter bed extracts any sugar from the mash and becomes an enriched filtrate which is discharged at 51 and, with valve F open, directed to the kettle. Thus the mash is subjected to such a compressing action as to form a filter bed, which is used first to clarify the wort and then to have separated therefrom any adhering wort by the action on the filter bed of a continuous supply of sparge water acting on a continuous new supply of mash.

The method which may be carried out independently of the apparatus shown and described, consists in subjecting mash from the mash tank to a continuous rotation and agitating movement travelling continuously so as to be capable of in the form of a filtratewhich contains the leached out material from the mash, the movement 0! the mash and its compression and its agitation, and flow of the effluent being regulated to enable the leaching to be carried out to the desired amount under maintenance of a. diffusion action. In contrast to high speed centrifugals, this rotation of the filter bed and its simultaneous successive increment movement is at a low speed. The action is a continuous and simul- The flow of the effluent is not forced to enable it to diffuse with the mash of the filter bed; The diffusion of the eflluent'in between the constantly movinggrains of the mash, enables the eiliuent to dissolve any wort adhering to the grains of the mesh or such as is entrained in the cell structure of the-grains, and carry the leached out substances away from the mash filter bed.

In Fig. 2 is shown diagrammatically the mode of operation of the method. The efliuent descends vertically and moves radially outwards without current flow but under diflusion action through impinges upon the grains 01' the mash at differ-,

ent parts of the grains, the agitated grains presentingdiflerent facets to the eflluent, so that a thorough washing or leaching is achieved. The

- relatively slow speed of movement of the mash and the gentle flow of the eilluent provides the best condition for such varied impingement.

I have described a method and an apparatus, but changes may be made therein within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

What I claim is:

1, In a mash and wort separator, a hollow cylindrically shaped drum, with all over distributed openings, forming an interiorcompartment, a stationary cylindrically shaped wall, with all over distributed openings, surrounding. the drum and concentrically spaced from the drum sufiicient to form with the exterior of the drum 9. filter bed compartment of relatively small radial depth compared with the diameter or the drum,. inlet means for supplying mash to one end of the filter bed compartment, blades forming a spiral on the exterior oi the drum extending to the stationary wall for moving and continuously advancing said filter bed from said inlet means to its discharge longitudinally through the filter bed compartment, means for rotating the drum with the blades, inlet means, of smaller diameter than that or the drum, axially disposed at one end of the drum for supplying an eiiiuent to the interior a 3 fusion action the filter'bed, during its movement I from the inlet to the discharge in the filter bed.

cal, substantially cylindrical, surrounding staoi the drum for forming an eiiluent mass within the drum, and means exterior to the stationary wall for collecting the eilluent discharged therethrough. whereby said mass passes radially out or the openings of the drum, through the filter bed, and through the stationary wall, to leach by dittionary shell spaced from the exterior of the drum to form with the drum a filter bed -compartment of small radial depth compared to the diameter of the drum, the drum and the shell having openings in all over distribution, mash supply means for supplying mash from the tub to said compartment, an axially disposed eiiluent inlet of small diameter compared to the smaller diameter of the drum, means for supplying an eiiiuent from the tub to said inlet, for passing the mass or efliuent in the drum from the interior of the drum in difiusion action through the filter bed on the drum in continuous supply, during the continuous supply of the mash to the compartment a spent mash discharge for the filter bed at the smaller diameter of the drum independent and separate from the exterior of the shell, and collecting means at the exterior of the shell for the effluent discharged from the shell.

3. The method of separating wort from mash discharged from the mash tub, which consists in subjecting such mash distributed in a substantially cylindrical hollow filter bed body havin a small radial depth compared to the diameter or the body to a continuous low speed increment axial movement, and simultaneouslysubjectins the interior bore of said filter bed body to a mass of wort solvent for passing said solvent byidiflusion action radially through the filter bed body from its interiorto its larger diameter exterior,

to leach the circumferentially spaced mash and form a filtrate or the wort and sugar or the mash,

by the different facets of the grains of the mash being acted upon by said wort solvent during the circumferentially disposed spatial distribution of the mash undersaid diii'usion action.

ROBERT C. SCHOCK. 

